Three Things To Look For In A Pet-Friendly Apartment

If you've decided to look for a pet-friendly apartment because you want to share your life with a canine companion, you're probably looking forward to having many happy years with your furry friend. However, all pet-friendly apartments aren't created equal, and landing in the wrong spot can make all the difference between living in harmony with your pet and living a life that's stressful for both of you. Following are three things you should look for in a pet-friendly apartment. 

A Reasonable Pet Policy

Naturally, you'll be looking for a pet-friendly place, but there may be such a thing as being too pet-friendly. Look for pet policies that limit the number of pets per household and require pets to be up to date on vaccinations as well as spayed or neutered. Be sure to visit the apartment grounds and look carefully for signs that pet owners aren't cleaning up after their pets, and have a chat with the apartment manager about whether conflicts between pet owners are common and how they're resolved, if at all.

Add on extra points if the apartment complex has an onsite dog park or walking trails, but be sure to hang around and observe these areas to see how they're being used. Are pet owners allowing their dogs to run wild, or do they keep their dogs under control at all times? If not, seriously ask yourself if that's a condition that you're willing to live with.

A Pet-Friendly Interior

Pet-friendly interiors should have reasonably large open spaces and be free of wall-to-wall carpeting. Most apartment dogs are small breeds, and a bit of open space provides room for playing fetch and other games. Even very well-trained dogs are better off without wall-to-wall carpeting because it provides habitat for fleas and mold spores. Besides, in the event that an accident does happen, you can clean it up off a vinyl or wooden floor far more easily than from a carpeted surface.

Proximity to Pet-Friendly Amenities

You'll also want to make sure that the apartment is located within a reasonable distance from the kind of amenities that are important to pet owners. Trips to the other side of town for those special dog biscuits they don't carry at the local supermarket begin to seriously add up after a while. You'll also want to be close to a veterinary clinic and a nice dog-friendly park. Even if you choose a complex with an onsite dog park, sometimes you'll feel like a long walk in a lovely green space without being crowded by other pets and their owners.